1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally directed to tools and methods for constructing roofs and specifically to a method and template for fabricating rafters.
2. Description of the Related Art
The common rafter is cut at an angle at its uppermost end so that the rafter, when installed, provides the proper pitch to the roof while making a flush attachment to the ridge beam. The uppermost cut is known as the common ridge cut. The lower most end of the rafter is typically cut at an angle parallel to the common ridge cut so that the lowermost end of the rafter is perpendicular to the ground and parallel to the vertical walls of the structure being roofed. This lowermost cut is known as the tail end cut or fascia. In addition to these cuts, it is desirable to make a cut between the common ridge cut and the tail end cut such that rafter provides a parallel surface to set upon the vertical walls of the structure being roofed. This cut is often referred to as the bird's mouth or seat cut. This cut permits a maximum load bearing surface of the roof rafter to sit upon the top of the vertical wall.
For the roof to lie properly, all the rafters in the roof must be cut to the proper length, with the correct angles, and have an accurately placed bird's mouth or seat cut. Because it is difficult to make all the rafters for a given roof accurately, a skilled craftsman is typically required. Further, even a skilled craftsman requires a significant amount of time and effort to ensure all of the rafters are properly measured and marked before cutting. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a device and method for fabricating rafters that is simple to use and can rapidly and accurately lay out rafters even when used by a relatively unskilled worker or an average construction worker.